Meet Me In St. Louis Nov 2011

Welcome Patrick Oscar Chandler 7lbs, 4 oz! Oct 25, 2011

Directorial Team Shines At The Whidbey Playhouse!

Once in a blue moon you will be fortunate enough to see a show where everything is done to perfection. Meet Me in St Louis is just such a show. The cast and Directorial team have been working 5 days a week since the first of May to be sure that this Family Musical is polished and ready for the opening night crowd, Nov. 4-27 2011. Julia Locke is the Assistant Director, and costumer, and has been working hard to coordinate the period costumes from circa 1904. Over 150 costumes have been remade, sized, created from scratch and cleaned and fitted and are now ready for the Costume parade. A hefty job for anyone, but that along with her regular job in charge of Production for all the shows, being on the Board of Directors and heading the Play reading committee, keep her busy indeed! Julia as Assistant Director has scheduled all the rehearsals and is helping the Director Paul Pierce learn how The Whidbey Playhouse works. She is a retired Music Director, trained in dance, art, music, and literature thru college. High school theatre (plays and set painting) wrote, directed church musicals for youth and adults throughout her early adult years. She has composed music for and conducted church choirs for 15 years and worked in a music store for 10 years. Julia and her husband Jack found the theater when they retired here, and it's been their life ever since.

Paul came to us from the Northwest Savoyards in Edmonds. Paul has been part of the American Ballet Theatre New York City, Olympic Ballet Theatre, Syracuse Ballet Company, Mississippi Ballet Company and the New Orleans Jazz Dance Ensemble. Paul been a show director for musical theater and, choreographer for companies located in Upstate New York, the Gulf Coast even Washington State. He has a BA in theater Arts from Michigan State and is a License dance Teacher through dance Masters of America He is choreographing this show, along with Directing it which can be a challenge indeed, when you have a cast that can sing but maybe not dance. They have been rehearsing all summer, and it shows.

Sarah Russell is an old friend who came back into town and found the theater again. Before she left she was the musical director and acted in such musicals as the Mikado, and South Pacific. She is a bundle of energy looking for a place to be. She endlessly directs the cast through their musical numbers, and has put together a great orchestra for our group. Sarah and her husband are now retired here, and it did not take her long to jump back into the frying pan, and start directing again.

Gaye Litka rounds out the Directorial team, as Co-Music Director and also plays the role of the Irish Housekeeper Katie, and she and the girls do a right snazzy Irish jig. She is a veteran of our Stage and has been in numerous musicals in her career. Having to work on this show through the summer was hard on her as she and her husband Tom are out on their bike every chance they get. Gaye was last seen giving musical direction to her grand daughters Sophie, and Sydney in ANNIE, which means Gaye has been working non-stop on shows since last March. These four people have given up their summer to make sure that this musical will be perfect. It has been a hard job trying to fill in the voices, when no one auditioned, and replacing those that quit when they realized how hard this was going to be.

I cannot say enough to help you appreciate just how GOOD this show is going to be, All of our actors and production people are volunteers, giving their time freely to go from a blank cold rehearsal studio, through the directors vision and then onto a partially built stage, to paint, build, and create St. Louis in the early 1900’s for you. No one can say it has been easy. It has not, there is a lot of work that has gone on behind the scenes, and a lot more that is taking place now as the actors move onto the main stage and into their costumes and off their book, and learn their blocking. The songs are lively, the dances are energetic, and the story is wonderful. The Smith Family of St. Louis is excited and eager for the 1904 World’s Fair to open, and allow the whole world to see it as Esther says: “right here where we live! Right here in St. Louis!”

This Play is based on the Movie of the same name, directed by Vincent Minnelli and Starring Judy Garland. Tickets go on sale for this High energy Family Musical on Tuesday October 4th during box office Hours. All tickets are 16.00 and can be purchased by calling 360-679-2237 or by stopping by the Box Office at 730 SE Midway Blvd, Oak Harbor, WA 98277. Please check our website for dates and times. www.whidbeyplayhouse.com

Baby SHower for Mistie and Tim!

 Mistie CHandler at the Baby shower along with "Auntie" Sherry Brett.

 Judy Kringler, Donna. Sherry Mistie

 Aunt Phyllis and Tim hanging the decorations

 Sherry, Penny Zettlemoyer, DOnna Rusty

 Sherry. donna, Rusty. Penny mistie

 Sherry penny, donna, rusty mistie

 Penny

 Mistie

 Bob. Judy, TIm

 Penny, Rusty, Mistie

 Tim

 Mistie, Rusty and Penny

 Aunt Phyylis, Aunt Sherry tim

 Donna Judy Kringler, Barb Luther

 Barb and Penny

 Penny

Penny and rusty

Everyone had a great time, and my two oldest friends came!  Barbara and Penny.  We have know each other since 4th grade, (Penny)  and high school (barb).Lots of gifts, lots of food, lots of cake and punch and lots of laughs and talking.  It was lots of fun and I need to give parties like this more!

A BAD YEAR FOR TOMATOES!! Is the latest offering at The Whidbey Playhouse. It is a funny story about Myra who is a soap star, and wants to be alone to write her memoirs. Unfortunately the ladies of Beaver Haven have other ideas, which prompts Myra to invent a crazy sister that will kill you on sight. When Piney the Backwoodsman meets Sophie, Instant LOVE! finally Myra has to get rid of Sophie in order to get rid of Piney, who is really really Smitten. When Sophie disappears, the ladies of Beaver Haven assume she Murdered her sister and get the Sheriff involved. This is hysterically funny, and you will laugh your socks off. Warning here....this is not a great story, but it is funny, funny funny and you will walk out happy! This is the final weekend of the show, so get your tickets soon! Thursday friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 and Sunday matinee at 2:30! Do NOT miss this one...Dick, you can come up the handicap ramp if Pat can not do stairs! Easy walk,

Piney is played by Kevin Wm. Meyer, Myra is played by Tamra Sipes, Cora Gump played by Allenda Jenkins, Reba Harper is played Shealyn Christie, Sheriff is played by Jeff Lindgren, Tom is played by Sean Hall, ANd the "witch" Willa Mae, is played by Mary K. Hallen

This Hoot is Directed by Linda Walbeck

It is Produced by Allenda Jenkins.

I am just amazed at how far imaging has come in the past forty years.  Tim was born 40 years ago today, and there was no way you could see the fetus in utero, except by x-ray, and then all you saw was the skeleton.

This is yesterday's ultrasound of Patrick, my grandson.  you can actually see his cute little face!  his face is right in the middle of the picture with him laying on his left side. You can see he has a cleft chin like his Daddy.  and his nose and his eyes, and forhead.  I could not tell you what the rest of this is, something inside Mistie.  But to actually SEE your baby and know what it is MONTHS before it was born is wonderous!  I am not sure I would want to know though.  I enjoyed the guessing game, and wondering  if it was twins or what.  They told Mistie that Patrick was over 5 lbs now, and he will be born on October 24, unless he decides to come early.  I waited and waited and waited for both of my children.  Donna was 6 weeks late and Tim was 7 weeks late.  I choose not to have any more for fear I would be pregnant a YEAR with it.

Mistie does not know anyone up here as she met Tim on line, and moved up here to be with him.  She left her friends in Oregon, so I am giving the Baby Shower.  Things have changed there too.  Mom's or family were NEVER sposed to give the shower, only the best friend.  and Men were forbidden to come.  Now husbands, boyfriends and male friends come and think nothing of it.  How things have changed.

I have no clue which games to play, what gifts to give, what kind of cake to serve, what kind of fingerfood you do.  we had mints and peanuts and cake and coffee and tea.  Now I guess it is almost like a luncheon, or so I have been told.  Where have I been hiding for forty years?

I can't wait to hold the little stinker!  I may have to move to Bellingham so I can go see him every day!  I know right now I will be putting a lot of miles on my car starting next month!  eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Im so excited,  He will be my first very own grandchild.  He comes into this world already an Uncle!  Victoria Misties Daughter had our first GREAT grandson a year ago.  this is sure a backwards generation.

OOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!! LOOKIE at what I just found!!!!  I Love this!  I had often wondered how we could change our blogs, and now I KNOW!!!!  I feel so stupid! It has been right here all the time!  So now it is fall and I will leave it this way until Winter!

I drove up to Bellingham last Saturday to see Owen while he was here visiting Tim and Mistie. He will be 1 on October 2! I cant believe he is this big already! A happy, active energetic baby, ANd he stood up and WALKED for the very first time while I was there! Just stood right up from a sit, and walked across the room! Like he had been doing it forever! What a sweetie. He goes back to Portland with his Mommie this week. Wish he lived closer. AH well My Patrick will be here in 6 weeks (or less), and I can see him any time I need to! There will be lots of driving in my future! It is a 125 mile round trip, not far if you are a crow, but you have to drive forever to get around all the islands and water! Now if I could have just gotten him to say "Mimi" while I was there......

the kids

Mistie has had a rough time carrying this baby, She has been in to the ER several times with contractions, and everything seems to be fine with Patrick. It was so good to see these pictures of her looking so GOOD!



Tim and "the Boys"







Mistie and her girl...

Hang on Baby!

I just found out by reading facebook, that my daughter-in-law and Son rushed to the Labor/Delivery room because she was having problems. Patrick is not due for 10 more weeks! I woke up this morning and felt like there was something wrong. I checked every door, walked the dog outside to see if there was anyone in the yard, came in and fixed a cup of tea and checked my email and computer, and thought I was just being paranoid, so I went back to bed.

Woke up at 730 same thing. Knew there was something wrong, even said, Please Patrick, be ok for Grandma. and shrugged it off. All day I have felt OFF...no reason, but thought of the baby several times.

I finally got a short nap in, woke up feeling much better, came in here and read my face book, to find out that The baby's heart rate had dropped really low, and he was in distress. THey were in there all day, I am 1.5 hours away, and I did not get a call.

My first Grandchild, my only Son, and I did not get a call. I can kind of understand not calling during the crisis, but they are all home now, and she had time to get on the computer and post on facebook. Tim could have called me. I think I am going to cry! Hurts! a LOT!

Last Weekend was our Annual HISTORIC Coupeville Arts and Crafts Festival and we were jammed from wall to wall.

Coupeville holds this festival on Front Street which is 2 small blocks long. It grew in the past 48 years from ten little tables into 220 tents! we have surpassed the capacity of Front street and have now taken over Alexander St also. We block off these roads for three days and become basically a huge store.

The proceeds from this festival ( we get 15% of the Artisans take) go right back into the community in the form of grants and scholarships.


This year just before the festival, the down town businesses, which are mostly art galleries and antiques stores were burgled. Over 25,000 was taken from one store alone, the work of one or two artists who were planning on using these pieces in their booths at the festival. THe word got out to the Seattle News stations that the Festival was robbed, and the artists were all damaged.

Needless to say my office phone started ringing, until I was able to staunch the rumor and explain that it was only a few artists that lost quite a bit. I had several artists from as far away as Olympia, calling and offering to bring their goods up to help us.




All of these artisans were set up in just a few hours by 200 very AWESOME volunteers, who directed traffic to the parking lots, Parked them, directed them to their spots at the proper times, helped them unload, and then get them back out of the way so the next vendor could get in and set up. A Major operation to say the least!

Saturday and Sunday these awesome volunteers were on hand to park and direct the THOUSANDS of cars that came to the Festival. THOUSANDS! the parking lots were full, the school lots were full, and there was a line for a mile down both sides of the highway. We estimate that at least 10,000 were here on Saturday and another good 8,000 on Sunday.

Now we relax for about 2 weeks and then start all over again, planning, executing and dividing up the profits among the many applications that we get every September. This is not an easy job, and our volunteers come back year after year, to do it all over again for absolutley no pay!

What a crew!